Liquid-meter.



PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1.906.

J. W.- LBDOUX.

LIQUID METER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.27, 1905.

Witnesses:

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN W. LEDOUX, OF SW'ARTHMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SIMPLEX VALVE AND METER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LIQUID-METER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LEDoUX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Swarthmore, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Liquid-Meters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the measurement of liquids iiowing through conduits; and it has for its leading object the production of a simple and efficient device for indicating the rate at any given period and measuring the `amount of the How taking place during a given interval.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will appear by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof, of which- Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a `form of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2

'represents a sectional elevation thereof,

showing a modification f the conduit; and Fig. 3 represents a sectional elevation showing a modified form of the counterbalancing mechanism.

As shown in l, the main or conduit through which flows the liquid to be measured comprises the parts 1 and 1, placed at different elevations, connected by thefbends 2 and 2', and the vertical compound section composed of the conical parts 3 and 3', converging to the throat 4. A pilot or traveler 5,- whose cross-sectional area is a material portion of the cross-sectional area of the throat, is suspended Within the passage through the compound section by a fine wire 6, which passes through a small tubular opening 7 in the bend 2. A wheel 8, revolubly supported by the arborv 9, supports the wire, which Vis connected with a counterweight 10, submerged in a suitable liquid containedin a receptacle 11. A cam 12 is ,connected to the'wheel 8 and revoluble therewith by the movement of the wire 6, attached Ato the wheel, through the action of the traveler 5, which is moved by changes in the velocity of flow through the compound section in which it is suspended.' When the li uid in the main is at rest, the traveler 5 is he d in the throat 4 through the action of the counterweight 10, which slnks to the point of maximum submergence in the fluid contained in the receptacle 11 4and so that it counterbalances the traveler in the throat when the velocity of ow is zero. When there is a flow of li uid through the conduit in the direction of t e arrow, since the traveler opposes a material obstruction to the passage through the throat, it is moved from this position by a current of minimum velocity and is carried downwardly into the eupanding part 3 as the velocity increases a distance proportional to the velocity, the relation between the velocity and the movement of the traveler from its initial position depending upon the rate of expansion in the part 3 and the interior contour of the compound section as also the configuration of the coguterweight 10, each of which may be varie As shown in Fig. 2, the conduit through which flows the li uid to be measured may comprise the alineal parts Ia and 1b, connected by a compound section comprising the conical parts 3a and 3b, converging to a throat 4a, asmall conduit or by-pass 2a 2b connecting the normal section or part 1a with the throat or contracted section 4a.

The pilot or traveler 5 is suspended in the' in'the'conduitJ is zero, the counterweight l() sinking to the point of greatest submergence and elevating the traveler to its highest position when no force is exerted upon the latter by liquid fiowing through the by-pass. When there is a flow of liquid -throughil the major conduit in the direction of the arrow, there Will be a proportionate ilow through the bypass or minor conduit and the traveler will e carried downwardly therein as the velocity increases a distance proportional to the velocity, the relation between the velocity and the movement of the traveler depending upon the proportions of the several parts.

As shown in Fig. 3, the action of the traveler 5, (suspended as in the compound section IOC 3 by the Wire 6, playing in the opening 7 and attached.V to the disk 8,) may be counter- I balanced by av counterweight 10', connected 'loaded or the matterthereof may be adjusted to effect a perfect balance between them, so that their centerof gravity and the center of revolution are the same. It will be understood that the counterweight l10 and cam .11 oppose a 'gradually-increasing resistance to the movement of the traveler by the gradually-increasing iow through the conduit, the movement of the traveler being thus controlled.

A lever 13, fulcrumed by the arbor 14, is provided with a tappet 15, which is adapted v to make-contact'- with the periphery of'the cam 12, the lever being oscillated at a regu- 'lar rate and lifted to a certain elevation by any'suitable mechanism, as a cord 16 connected therewith, and reciprocated at regular intervals by the action of a clock 17, the point to which the lever will fall andthe am; plitude of its vibrations bein regulated by the positionvof the cam', whicfli has its hi hest point under the tappet when the veloclty ofl flow is zero and its successively lower pointsthereunder as the velocity increases. A roller` 18,v carried by the inclined seat 13 in the lever 13, is upon the elevation of the lever `wedged by its seat against the periphery'of the disk 19, which is revolubly supported by the arbor 14, .the diskb'eing thereby clutched to and moved forward by the lever through an arc equal to that through which the lever is moved. In the downward movement of the lever the clutching device 18 rolls freely on the periphery of the disk, which is held against reverse movement by a stationary arm 20, having therein an inclined seat 20 and a roller 21, carried in the seat for clutching the disk against reverse movement. A spur-wheel 22, con-v nected to and revoluble with the disk 19, drives a pinion 23 Vfor operating a register 24 in a well-known manner.

To indicate the velocity or the rate. of flow "at any period, .some part of the revoluble mechanism may be provided with' a graduated scale acting in conjunction with a pointer,` as by the scale 25 on the cam 12,

which may be graduated with reference to the tappet 15' as apointer for indicating the position of the cam and the rate of flow.

It will be understood that the proportions of the various) parts coacting. together may be adjusted with relation to each other so that their several `edects are functions of the equation representing the flow of the liquid with relation to the passage occupied by thel traveler.

It will also be understood that the use of the expression proportion in the description vand claims is to be taken the' general meaning of 'varylng with or, as 1n the case of the traveler, its movement in proportion. to the flow through thel assage in which it acts is some function ofI t e equation' representing such iiow. Y

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In` apparatus of theclass described, al l conduit having a contracted passage, a rectilineally-moving device reciprocated in said passage with variations in the rate of a fluid V fliowing'therethrough, a support oscillating on a iixed axis and counterbalancing mechanism opposing a resistance to the movement of said device varying with the rate of flow through said passage, a register, and mechvarying with the rate of flow through said i conduit, a cam cennected with and oscillated by said reciprocating device, a register and means whereby the osition of said cam' regulates thev rate of said register. 1

3. In apparatus of the class described, a

conduit, a device reciprocating in said conduitwith variations 1n the rate of a fluid iioiwing therethrough, supporting and counterbalancing mechanism for said device comprising a cam oscillating on a stationary axis and a weight, and means for indicating the volume of flow, said means comprising -a cam oscillating with said irst cam,

v4. In apparatus of the class described, a conduit having a Venturi section, a traveler disposed in the fluid' iiowing through said conduit and reciprocated by variations in the rate of the iiow, a supporting mechanism 'oscillating on a stationary axis and comprising a iiexible device connected to said traveler, a cam connected with and oscillated by said supporting mechanism, and means controlled by the position of said cam for indicating the volume of flow.

- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set IOO ile'

my hand, thisl 24th day of January, 1905, in

the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

l "JOHN W. LEDOUX.' Witnesses: RoBERrJAMEs EARLEY, UTLEY E. CRANE, Jr. 

